Yasin Ozcan is left-footed and is one of the youngest players in the Turkish Super Lig. He made his first appearances as a left-centre back, but has played as a deep defensive fullback since. His potential as a centre-back is much higher.
He still is quite raw physically, lacking upper body strength to dominate in his duels, but has a good frame (tall for a fullback – average for a centre-back) with long legs and good acceleration both with and without the ball.
In a team that doesn’t have many long, organized possession sequences he occupies a deep position in a situational back3. Has good ability to play clipped passes over the top or between the lines, a skill that he also uses in his clearances. In open spaces and in transitions he shows the ability to carry forwards dynamically and find teammates with through passes into the channels. Under pressure he is not confident to find more creative solutions, but being quite young and raw it’s definitely an aspect he can improve. Overall his dribbling capacity is limited and he would hardly make an attacking impact as a fullback, but can improve as a ball-playing centre-back.
Defensively, he is quite premature tactically and shows doubt in 2v1 situations and when tracking runners. Can lose his balance in wide 1v1s. His best moments come when he can use his length for interceptions. When in central positions he reads opponent’s intentions quickly and gets into good positions to intercept passes and then release pressure quickly. Communicates well with teammates, showing active body language, but has to be more aggressive in his duels, especially with back to goal and towards the sideline. Strength improvement is necessary, but also a more clearly defined role in the team’s tactics and better suited to his strengths will have a huge influence in his performances.
A lot is needed from him in terms of physical and tactical development to reach his ceiling, but a good level of game intelligence, combined with length, pace and the potential to break lines from the left as a centre-back make him an interesting prospect.
Playing at a lower mid table club in the Turkish Super Lig before turning 17, he must be of interest for the top clubs of his country. His ceiling seems higher as a centre-back, but his ability to also play as a fullback will be key in his future usage. There is not much evidence of him being a leading central defender (with the main reason being the limited playing time in that position), so his positional flexibility can make him an integral part for teams that fight for the title in his country, while also competing in European competitions.